Polling firm Zogby International and partner Rock the Vote found Massachusetts Senator John Kerry leading President Bush 55% to 40% among 18-29 year-old likely voters in their first joint Rock the Vote Mobile political poll, conducted exclusively on mobile phones October 27 through 30, 2004. Independent Ralph Nader received 1.6%, while 4% remain undecided in the survey of 6,039 likely voters.
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The poll also found that only 2.3% of 18-29 year-old respondents said they did not plan to vote, and another .5% who were not sure if they would.

Those numbers can make all the difference in the polls you've been seeing up until now.

We've received many comments from Rightwingers expressing that they are quite pleased with their guest line-up, thank you, as it was announced on Friday.

We've also received many from Liberals suggesting that since Fox is so far to the Right, what's the point in trying to get them to level their playing field at all?

I will remind you that, no matter what you may feel about Fox "News", more Americans watch them now for Election "News" than any other news outlet! Those are not all Republican zombies! But many of those viewers are highly influenced by the hard-right slant that FNC offers in every facet of their broadcast day. With a race (possibly) this close, levelling the playing field in any way on FNC can only be a plus!

CNN and MSNBC, unfortunately leaning to the Right as well these days, do not offer balance to FNC!

You Democrats, Liberals and Progressives who are foolish enough to simply write-off Fox "News" as a lost and/or useless cause are doing an enormous disservice to yourself and your cause and are behaving precisely as Bush supporters would like you to!

In a complaint to the Federal Elections Commission, the National Republican Campaign Committee accused radio station KFI-AM (640) co-hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou of "criminal behavior" for attacking Rep. David Dreier, R-Glendora, and endorsing his Democratic opponent, Cynthia Matthews.

By criticizing Dreier's positions on immigration, promoting a "Fire Dreier" campaign and making on-air appeals for voters to elect Matthews, the NRCC said, the hosts gave Matthews an unlawful corporate, in-kind contribution of more than $25,000.

"This behavior is illegal and must be appropriately punished," the NRCC charged, noting violation of the law carries a penalty of fines and jail time.

For the record, the John & Ken Show (local here in CA) is ardently rightwing, and they have been highly critical of Drier (and the Republicans) for giving lip-service to immigration policies.

Nonetheless, we agree with the National Republican Campaign Committee! Radio hosts who use the public air waves to support one candidate over another should immediately be censured, fined, and have their licenses revoked! Where do we sign up?

Having watched the bulk of today's Sunday news shows, I can report that the Republicans aren't quite as nervous as they obviously were on last week's shows. Perhaps it's due to the "little gift", as a senior GOP strategist appallingly described it, that they were given by bin Laden on Friday.

"We want people to think 'terrorism' for the last four days," said a Bush-Cheney campaign official. "And anything that raises the issue in people's minds is good for us."

A senior GOP strategist added, "anything that makes people nervous about their personal safety helps Bush."

He called it "a little gift," saying it helps the President but doesn't guarantee his reelection.

Nonetheless, I'll continue to stand by my previous prediction of a Kerry victory on Tuesday. Though now it's all down to "GET OUT THE VOTE", "GET OUT THE VOTE", "GET OUT THE VOTE".

If you are not helping to do that, please go to Voter Call, and join the effort from the comfort of your sofa, now! You. Are. Needed.

That said, here's a round-up of the polls from yesterday, taken after Bush's "little gift":

Seemingly, about as close as you could get. But these are not good numbers for either an encumbent or for a Republican. Look at today's numbers, versus 2000's numbers on the same days, according to Zogby:

"I want you to stand, raise your right hands and recite the Bush Pledge...I care about freedom and liberty. I care about my family. I care about my country. Because I care, I promise to work hard to re-elect, re-elect George W. Bush as president of the United States."
-- Dutifully recited by 2,000 standing, hand-raised Bush supporters at a Campaign Rally in Port St. Lucie, FL this week. As lead aloud by Florida state Sen. Ken Pruit.

And they suggest it's the left who are drawing inappropriate allusions to the Third Reich???

This week, Dick Cheney called Iraq a "remarkable success". Previously, George W. Bush called it a "catastrophic success". With 15 dead U.S. troops in Iraq over the past week (at least 9 of them yesterday alone, 8 in a single attack), and a new report detailing that in fact over 100,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since it all began, there is little doubt about the kind of "success" this war has been. No matter what the desperados in office trying to win reelection are hoping you will beleive.

Look at the numbers and decide for yourself. Here are the latest as of 10/31/04...

Ratio of Al-Qaeda Attacks in the 3 years after 9/11
to Al-Qaeda Attacks in the 3 years prior:2:1

Avg. Number of Attacks on U.S. Military per day:80-90

U.S. Military Killed
between "Mission Accomplished" and hand-over of "Sovereignty":1.89 per day

U.S. Military Killed
since hand-over of "Sovereignty" (125 days ago):2.34 per day

Total U.S. Military Killed
since hand-over of "Sovereignty" (125 days ago):269

Total UK Military Killed
since hand-over of "Sovereignty" (125 days ago):9

All other "Coalition" Military Killed
since hand-over of "Sovereignty" (125 days ago):14

Obviously, this is anything but "Fair and Balanced" and on the eve of a national Election it's simply outrageous!

I have a highly placed source inside the Hannity & Colmes show who I've sent Email to complain about this, and I received back a similar response to the ones I usually receive from them on the lack of balance on H&C. Namely; the Kerry campaign is simply not as willing to help them by supplying guests as the Bush campaign is. (I wonder why!)

I have tried to explain to my source that it's Fox's and H&C's responsibility to ensure that their show is fair and balanced! Not the responsibility of the Kerry campaign or the DNC to ensure that!

No matter how much the Democrats wish (or do not wish) to supply top-level guests to H&C it is the responsibility of the news organization, and debate show --- which claims to offer "Fair and Balanced" debate from both sides --- to do everything they can to ensure that the American people whom they serve receive an equal representation from both sides!

Last week, for example, Hannity had half-hour one-on-one interviews first with George W. Bush and then again with Dick Cheney. After which, both Hannity and Colmes pointed out that they had invited Kerry and/or Edwards to enjoy the same, to which apparently they declined.

In lieu of Kerry or Edwards then, H&C should have given an equal amount of time to a Democratic representative --- any Democratic representative, if necessary! --- to do at least their best to try and offer balance, even if they were not able to get Kerry or Edwards themselves!

And now, on their Election Eve show, such sorry excuses are simply intolerable! Having three Republican guests --- two of them, Rove and Morris, who will likely be offered segments where no balancing Democrat representative is there to supply balance --- is beyond the pale on the final show before Americans go to the polls!

I've contacted MediaMatters.org about this issue in hopes that they can help make some noise about it. I hope you will do the same, as well as helping to spread this word, and contacting the people at Fox News and the Hannity & Colmes show with your opinions about this outrageous example of attempting to effect the Presidential Election on the nation's most-watched channel for Election news coverage on the night before the Election!

UPDATE: If you have any question where Hannity & Colmes --- the show that claims to offer "Fair and Balanced Debate" stands, see the front page of their website right now. Here's a screenshot. Note all three featured stories offered to readers: Interviews with Peggy Noonan (Conservative, Ronald Reagan's speech writer), George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

We've come to expect this from H&C by now, of course, but their Election Eve coverage is even more outrageous than on most days! And, certainly more important than just any old day of the week!

Which of these two statements sounds like it comes from the stronger leader?

John Kerry: In response to this tape from Osama bin Laden, let me make it clear, crystal clear. As Americans, we are absolutely united in our determination to hunt down and destroy Osama bin Laden and the terrorists. They are barbarians. And I will stop at absolutely nothing to hunt down, capture or kill the terrorists wherever they are, whatever it takes. Period.

George W. Bush: Earlier today I was informed of the tape that is now being analyzed by America's intelligence community. Let me make this very clear: Americans will not be intimidated or influenced by an enemy of our country. I'm sure Senator Kerry agrees with this. I also want to say to the American people that we're at war with these terrorists and I am confident that we will prevail.

You decide ...

Marshall also notes, in another item, that apparently the Bush team learned of the impending bin Laden statement yesterday morning, but didn't notify the Kerry camp about it until later in the afternoon.

And then, as Bush finished criticizing Kerry for criticizing Bush for not doing more to catch bin Laden, there was this report from AFP:

Speaking to reporters outside the campaign rally here, White House communications director Dan Bartlett said that the tape should not affect the way Bush campaigns but that Kerry should have marked a 12-hour truce.

"You would think that there would be a, maybe, 12 hours to let the American absorb what has just happened today," he said.

Prodded on why, if the tape ought not to affect the campaign, Kerry should have stopped criticizing the president, Bartlett revised his statement, saying that the problem was that Kerry's attack had been "discredited."

NEW RULE!:
This Election Day in Florida, to make up for the Republican dirty tricks in 2000, black Floridians must go into white districts and hang around the polling places and scare white people away!

Which is both funny and insightful. But if any of you folks are paying attention, it's Ohio that I'd be very concerned about this year. Seems to me the G.O.P. is just begging to create a race war there.

It's one thing to disenfranchise several thousand elderly Jews in retirment homes in Boca Raton. It's another matter altogether to systematically and aggressively disenfranchise black voters in real time at the polls in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

From what I saw reported on Nightline last night, it looks like the G.O.P. is playing with fire out there, and hoping to start trouble as part of their strategy. I'm very concerned about what may happen in Ohio on Election Day. There's your heads-up for the moment...